No Choice, Dudley
by sibb
Summary: One of Harrys favourite things about being at Hogwarts was that Dudley was not. So how will he survive when Dumbledore decides it's to dangerous for Dudley to stay with the Dursleys while You-know-who is lurking around. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: You don't honestly think I own this, do you? Because if I did I'd probably be to busy asking my butler to make me drinks and lounging around my mansion.

Reviews are my muse. Inspire me :D

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For years Dudley and his friends had picked on Harry, who wasn't exactly popular. So what happens when Dudley is suddenly spun into a world of magic and the tables are turned.

Harry sat on the edge of the stairs and threw down an extendible ear over the side as he peered at the scene unfolding below.

"My baby!" Harry's aunt Petunia sobbed leaning into a very shocked uncle Vernon, almost knocking him over in the process.

"And this Voldemort fellow, he's dangerous you say?" Petunia glared at Vernon and pushed him away, Harry had to stop himself running down the stairs and knocking his uncle Vernons teeth out. Surely he knew.

"Yes" Dumbledore replied solemnly. Looking down at his plain brown shoes and casting a silent spell turning them into gold slippers with a pretty ornate pattern along the edge. Dumbledore smiled looking pleased with his work and turning his attention back to the two shocked muggles.

"W-w-well what do you suppose we do?" There was fear in Vernon's eyes, not just for the fact that his son was in grave danger, but there was a very powerful wizard who had just transfigured a pair of shoes in his living room.

"Well he certainly can't stay here, no it's far to dangerous, Voldemort knows you connections to Lilly and James." Dumbledore looked to the Dursley's to see if they were keeping up. "A safe house will be arranged for you." Petunia uncharacteristically was lost for words so Vernon took over once again.

"And where will Dudley go?" Vernon demanded.

"Hogwarts."

Harry lost his balance and tumbled down the stairs, landing at the feet of a horror stricken Petunia and Vernon Dursley.

"Ahh." Dumbledore looked up and plucked the extendable ear which was still hanging from the stairs. "I haven't seen one of these in a while, you got it from the Weasley twins I assume."

"Yes, Sir." Harry and Dumbledore exchanged a smile.

"I-i-i-i-I wont have it!" Vernon regained his courage and stood closer to Dumbledore, only reaching his shoulder "No son of mine is going to some mystic school to learn magic tricks!" he looked Dumbledore in the eye "I won't have it!"

"Oh shut-up Vernon." Petunia glared at her husband "If You-know-who is returning we have no choice.

"It's settled then. Have him buy his supplies and join Harry on the train." Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at Harry, who was looking deeply concerned and apparated with a puff of smoke. Harry couldn't help but grin as Petunia and Vernon fell backwards.

"You can't make me go!" Dudley screamed at being informed he was to attend Hogwarts for the year. "I wont go, I won't go, I wont go!" His voice rose several octaves and his face went from red to purple. If there was one thing Dudley wasn't used to it was being told no.

"It's for your own good, sweetykins." Petunia smiled, trying to calm him down, rather than giving into his demands. Thinking to herself she couldn't recall an occasion where she didn't give in.

"Nooooo, I don't want to go to some kooky old school with Harry!" Petunia nudged Vernon who also wasn't used to telling the boy no.

"We have no choice Son, this Volde-." Petunia shot him a sharp look "This You-know-who fellow is running around."

Dudley stopped in his tracks and looked to his father.

"You mean the one who killed Harry's parents?" Dudley's eyes were wide.

"Yes, sweetykins." Petunia sat next to Harry on the sofa. "That's why we want you to go to this Hogwarts place." She looked up at him, her eyes pleading "You'll be safe there."

"I hate this." Dudley shoved the last of his cake into his mouth and gulped as Harry led him into the Leaky Cauldron. Dust flew in the air and light music played over the laughing wizards sitting by their candlelit tables. "This place is creepy, and I'm going to have to spend a year at some wacko school with _you_!" Harry stopped and spun around to look at Dudley.

"You think I'm looking forward to this?" Harry walked over to the counter and Dudley tagged along open mouthed.

"A butter beer to go please Tom" He asked as people whispered about 'the chosen one' and 'the boy who lived.' He handed over two galleons and a butter beer appeared in front of him. "Part of the reason I like going to Hogwarts so much is to get away from you." He continued at a quick pace through the Leaky Cauldron walking out to the bare, claustrophobic beer garden "Just try and be inconspicuous" Harry mumbled as he tapped the password into the brickwork, remembering when Hagrid first took him into Diagon Alley.

Dudley's eyes almost popped out of his head as the brickwork gave way and opened into Diagon Alley. People in robes ran in and out of the old style shops which lined the crowded narrow street as far as the eye could see. He jumped backwards as an owl flew over head and his attention switched to a group of girls in pointed hats crowding around a shop window excitedly. Harry couldn't help but smile at Dudley's reaction.

"You'll need some robes first." Harry pulled his own on as he started to notice the strange looks they were getting from passers by.

"Robes, but I'll look stupid!" Dudley grabbed Harry's arm to stop him but Harry shrugged him off and kept walking.

"You'll look stupid if you don't." He walked into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions with Dudley not far behind him.

"Good afternoon Madam." Madam Malkin turned around to see Harry standing by the door.

"Ah, Harry." She smiled "Another growth spurt I see, the usual school robes in the next size then?" She spun around and walked over the the racks.

"Yes, and some for my cousin." Harry couldn't help but sound a little deflated. It was really dawning on him that he would have to drag Dudley around Hogwarts for an entire year.


	2. Chapter 2

"Quickly." Harry was watching nervously as Dudley tried to keep control of his trolley.

"What platform are we headed to Harry." Dudley caught a book that was threatening to fall off the top of the pile.

"Nine and three quarters" he called over the crowd.

"You see, kook's, Nine and three quarters? They're all kook's." Dudley picked up his pace in a Vernon like fashion.

"Now Dudley, listen carefully, Hold on tight to your trolley and run at the wall, okay." Harry looked in vain for any familiar faces.

"What? If you're just messing with me I'm going to tell Daddy." Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm not, just do it before we're late." Dudley closed his eyes and ran at the platform wall, disappearing without a trace. Harry ran on after him and sighed with relief that they hadn't missed the train.

"Come on then." Harry walked along the aisles with Dudley a few paces behind him. "Ron! Hermione! He called as he spotted the two in the next cart.

"Harry!" Hermione ran up to him and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"How are ya mate." Harry walked over to Ron who had a big grin on his face. Dudley trailed into the cart slowly behind him and Ron and Hermione's mouths dropped.

"Hermione, Ron" Harry looked at his feet and his voice grew distant "This is Dudley."

Harry sat down and motioned to the seat next to him.

"So it's true." Ron looked just as miserable as Harry.

"They though it was too dangerous for him to stay in Surrey, so they sent him here." Dudley looked as if he wanted to dissolve into the wall.

"Well Dudley, it's nice to meet you." Hermione extended a hand which he accepted and shook. "I'm muggle born too." She smiled. Muggle meant non-wizard right? Dudley was surprised to find himself smiling back.

Ron screwed his face up and spat his Bertie Botts into his hand

"Ugh, cod-liver." He passed the bag over to Dudley. "Want one?" He asked trying to be polite. He'd heard all about Dudley and how he treated Harry. Dudley reached into the packet and pulled out six, shoving them all into his mouth at once. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances before he started turning a faint shade of green and gulped, swallowing them all whole.

"Yuck! What the bloody hell were they?" Dudley looked like he was in shock.

"Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans." Harry smiled "It's best to take them one at a time if you're brave enough to have any at all." Dudley scrunched up his face. The train screeched to a stop and the horn blew as students shuffled through the narrow passage doors.

"Sixth years this way." Hagrid motioned students in different directions. Dudley struggled to keep up as they briskly walked through to the great hall.

"Look at this manky old hat" Dudley screwed up his face as they entered the great hall "Cant they just zap it and make it look nicer?"

"Slytherin!" The sorting hat yelled at Dudley as he walked past. Dudley looked back at the hat startled, and followed closer behind Harry, Ron and Hermione who were heading to the Griffindor table.

"Slytherin?" Dudley looked confused.

"The ones in green" Harry motioned to the Slytherin table across the room

"How did he know my name to sort me?" Dudley glanced over at the hat, who was now engulfed in conversation with some 4th years.

"They sort by personality here" Harry smirked "Figured you'd be sorted into Slytherin."

"Cause they're the best house then?" Dudley was looking smug. Harry, Ron and Hermione burst into laughter.

"If by the best you mean being muggle hating sneaky slimy manipulative gits, then yea." Ron smiled and Hermione held back another giggle. "Nobody likes Slytherins except for Slytherins." Dudley sighed defeated.

"Well shouldn't I go over there then?" Dudley looked annoyed and glanced back over at the Slytherin table.

"Not if you want to stay alive. The whole reason you're here is to protect you from types like them." Harry pursed his lips "T_heir parents_." Dudley looked doubtful but complied.

"Death eaters..." Hermione spat the word with disdain and Dudley was shocked. She'd been fairly quiet on the train there "I don't know why Dumbledore even lets them come here."

"Death eaters?" Dudley was thoroughly confused. People all around him used words he didn't know the meaning of, though that wasn't uncommon for him. What really confused him was the ceiling. Stars shone bright _inside_ the great hall, he couldn't comprehend it. Dudley turned back to Harry waiting for an answer. It was a lot to take in. Hermione nudged Harry in the ribs and he sighed before answering.

"They work for Voldemor-" Ron hissed "You-know-who." Dudley appeared to be contemplating this. Of course he wasn't really. He was really just distracted by Dumbledore's beard and then a group of Hufflepuff girls. Still the name sounded vaguely familiar.

"The one who killed Harry's parents?" Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. They were caught off guard by Dudleys insensitivity. Dudley really was as bad as Harry said.

"And thousands of others." Harry answered after it was apparent both Hermione and Ron were to shell-shocked to do it for him.

Dumbledore walked over the the front of the great hall and cleared his throat.

"To our new students; welcome, and to our old students; welcome back. This is to be an eventful year and I advise you all to take precautions. Be careful who you trust, and you may survive. But there is a time and place for long speeches and this is not it. Let the feast begin." Dudleys eyes turned to saucers as dinner appeared on the table and without question he started piling food onto his plate.

"He eats more than Ron." Ginny smiled and whispered into Harrys ear, which Ron didn't notice because he, too was busy piling food onto his plate.

"I can't believe I'm stuck with him for a year." Harry growled under his breath. Ginny nodded.

"But hey, at least he can't do anything here. Like he'd risk it when you can use magic on him. Maybe you can finally get back at him." Harry smiled.

"You're right." Harry leaned in and gave Ginny a kiss on the cheek.

"Eww." Ron put his hands over his eyes and turned away.

"Grow up Ron." Hermione frowned as Ron shoved another potato into his mouth.

"Bu' she's 'y 'ister." Ron said over a mouthful of his dinner. He was glad it was Harry that Ginny was dating and not some other guy – namely Dean – but he still hated it when they kissed in front of him.

"Harry? Has got a girlfriend?" Dudley snorted.

"Is that so unbelievable." Ginny scooted closer to Harry who was happy to have finally shown up his brute cousin, and have his girlfriend practically sprawled across his lap. Dudley looked down uncomfortably gauging snickers from everyone but him and Ron.

"Did you miss us?" Fred and George swooped in and sat down at the table "Who's the fresh meat?"

"Dudley." Harry replied in disdain. The twins exchanged glances and Harry smiled slightly. Dudley was going to get it bad.

"Where were you?" Hermione's face grew serious and the twins smiled.

"Do you _really_ want to know? The twins smirked and Hermione rolled her eyes.


End file.
